1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of reclosable packaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new type of reclosable zipper for use in the manufacture of reclosable packages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reclosable zippers comprised of interlocking profiles are extremely well-known in the reclosable packaging art. Nonetheless, because of the ever increasing uses for reclosable packaging, including pre-packaged consumer food products, reclosable zippers remain highly susceptible to improvement.
One particular area which remains susceptible to improvement is the ability to achieve a satisfactory vacuum seal through use of a reclosable zipper. The ability to achieve such a vacuum seal is of particular importance when reclosable packages are used to store perishable food products. In the absence of a satisfactory vacuum seal, stored food products tend to prematurely lose their freshness and spoil. Vacuum packaging may also be required for the proper storage and protection of other oxygen sensitive items such as certain electronic components and military hardware. In addition, the ability for a package to support a vacuum also permits the bulk of the package to be reduced by drawing out excess air which has storage and shipping advantages.
While there are numerous prior art reclosable zippers which provide such a vacuum seal, these zippers have proven unsatisfactory in that such reclosable zippers do not provide satisfactory resistance to the opening of the zipper by forces that act to open the zipper from the inside of the package (so-called product side separation forces).
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a new type of reclosable zipper which provides a satisfactory vacuum seal and which provides satisfactory resistance to product side separation forces.